Covered Buttons

You can buy kits for covering buttons from haberdashery shops and sewing supplies departments. They are metallic and aren't expensive and come with instructions for use. Buttons covered in fabric to match an outfit or in a colour that complements takes dressmaking to a new level.

I've covered my own buttons to make them into brooches or decorative pieces.

It's a fiddly but easy process and the results are rewarding.

Here's how to do it.


You'll need flat buttons with holes. bits of fabric and stuff to embellish with.

1. Take your button and draw around it.
2. Measure the diameter from side to side, increase it by a third and draw another, larger circle. This is your template. 
3. Decorate it. Beads, stitches, paints, fabrics - you choose.
4. Around the edge of your decorated circle sew a lie of running stitches. Leave long ends to pulls with.
5. Place the button on the decorated fabric and draw the fabric tightly around it with the stitches.
6. Secure the fabric with some stitches.
7. Cut out a circle of felt large enough to cover the work on the back of the button and sew it in place.
8. Add a brooch fastening.

Simple!


pinterest.com/explore/fabric-covered-buttons 

Brooches - miniature and knitted.

How about one of these? 

I used two cocktail sticks, two beads and embroidery thread to make this little brooch. A pin-on fastening is attached to the back so that it can be safely fastened to you. 

Temporary beads were fixed to the cocktail sticks to stop the work from slipping off. I then cast on 18 stitches and knitted until I was satisfied with the length. Next I rolled my knitting up and rolled yarn into a tiny ball and fixed it in place with glue. A fringe was tied to the loose end. 

When I'd finished knitting I transferred the work onto new cocktail sticks which were painted gold and glued new beads in place. Some stitches and a tiny amount of glue were needed to keep everything in place and in shape but the brooch is sturdy.

Try this. It's fiddly but rewarding. 

Use different stitches, yarn and beads, 

uk.pinterest.com/stitchheaven/knitting-in-miniature